City Gallery pays tribute to Sir James Fletcher

City Gallery Wellington pays tribute to a great
arts patronSir James Fletcher 1914 - 2007

Sir
James Fletcher, who in 1962 founded the art collection that
bears his name, passed away at his home in Auckland,
yesterday, Wednesday 29 August. City Gallery Wellington will
today mount a text panel in its West Gallery to pay tribute
to his life long encouragement of the visual arts. The
Fletcher Trust Collection’s exhibition (jointly with the
Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui), Te Huringa/Turning Points:
Pākehā Colonisation & Māori Empowerment is on at the City
Gallery until November 4.

“Without Sir James’
vision, tolerance and conviction that the best work by New
Zealand artists should be available for everyone, this
exhibition would not have been possible,” says
Fletcher Trust Collection curator, Peter Shaw.

Te
Huringa/Turning Points challenges audiences to re-think
historical depictions of Māori, from well-known colonial
artists such as CF Goldie, Horatio Robley and Francis Dillon
Bell, by positioning their work alongside contemporary works
by leading Māori artists. Ralph Hotere, Colin McCahon,
Gordon Walters and Shane Cotton are just some of the great
names that feature.

The opportunity for New Zealanders to
view these rarely seen historical works, as well as work of
contemporary artists, is due to the foresight of Sir James
and his close associate George Fraser in establishing and
maintaining the Fletcher Trust art collection since 1962.
The Fletcher Trust is an independent trust fund established
for charitable purposes within New Zealand. The Trust’s
art collection is just one its activities.

“Sir James
was never constrained by the limits of his own taste,
encouraging adventurous buying at every opportunity. To his
very last days he remained devoted to the art collection he
founded in 1962 and would always inquire of me: ‘Now
you're still buying the work of emerging artists, aren't
you?’” recalls Peter Shaw.

James Muir Cameron Fletcher
was born on December 25, 1914 at St Clair, Dunedin.
Following the rapid expansion of the construction business
founded by his father in 1909, the family moved, first to
Wellington in 1919, then back to Dunedin in 1925. He
attended Waitaki Boys' High School and Auckland Grammar
School. On leaving school in 1931, James Fletcher qualified
as an accountant (ACA) and joined the South British
Insurance Company Ltd in Auckland. In 1937 he left to
accompany his parents on a trip to visit building and
manufacturing industries in Scandinavia and England.

It
was this experience that provided the impetus for James
Fletcher’s decision in 1937 to join the family business,
as a junior accountant. Fletcher Construction became a
public company in 1940 and at the age of 25 James Fletcher
became company secretary of Fletcher Holdings. In 1942, when
he was appointed Managing Director, Fletcher Holdings had
approximately 300.In the same year he married Vaughan
Gunthorp and they have three sons.

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